Chama Cha Mapinduzi Explained

Party of the Revolution
Abbreviation:CCM
Chairperson:Samia Suluhu
Leader1 Title:Vice Chairman for the Mainland
Leader1 Name:Abdulrahman Kinana
Leader2 Title:Vice Chairman for the Islands
Leader2 Name:Hussein Mwinyi
Secretary General:Emanuel Nchimbi
Spokesperson:Amoss Makala
Founder:Julius Nyerere
Aboud Jumbe
Slogan:Ujamaa na Kujitegemea
CCM Oyee!
Merger:TANU and ASP
Headquarters:Dodoma
Newspaper:Uhuru
Think Tank:UONGOZI Institute
Student Wing:Seneti ya Vyuo na Vyuo Vikuu Tanzania
Youth Wing:Umoja wa Vijana wa CCM - UVCCM
Womens Wing:Umoja wa Wanawake Tanzania - UWT
Wing1 Title:Parents' wing
Wing1:Chama Cha Wazazi Tanzania - CWT
Wing2 Title:Farmer's wing
Wing2:Wakulima
Wing3 Title:Worker's Union wing
Wing3:Wafanyakazi
Membership Year:2022
Membership:12,000,000[1]
Position:Center-left[2]
Historical
Left wing
International:Progressive Alliance
Affiliation1 Title:African affiliation
Affiliation1:FLMSA
Seats1 Title:Bunge
Seats2 Title:Zanzibar HoR
Seats3 Title:EALA
Seats4 Title:SADC PF
Seats5 Title:Pan-African Parliament
Symbol:A hoe and a hammer
Flag:Flag of Chama Cha Mapinduzi.svg200px
Country:Tanzania

The Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM; in English) is the dominant ruling party in Tanzania and the second longest-ruling party in Africa, only after the True Whig Party of Liberia.[3] [4] It was formed in 1977, following the merger of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) and the Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP), which were the sole operating parties in mainland Tanzania and the semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar, respectively.

TANU and its successor CCM have ruled Tanzania uninterruptedly since independence. The party has been described as authoritarian.[5] Since the creation of a multi-party system, CCM has won the past six general elections in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020. Jakaya Kikwete, its presidential candidate in 2005, won by a landslide, receiving more than 80% of the popular vote and John Magufuli as a candidate in 2020 garnered over 84% of the vote. In the 2010 election, the CCM won 186 of the 239 constituencies, continuing to hold an outright majority in the National Assembly.[6]

History

The party was created on February 5, 1977, under the leadership of Julius Nyerere, through the merger of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU), the ruling party in Tanganyika, and the Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP), the ruling party in Zanzibar.

TANU/CCM has dominated the politics of Tanzania since the independence of Tanganyika in 1961. Due to the merger with the ASP, from 1977 it has also been the ruling party in Zanzibar, though there its grip on power has been more contested since the mid 1990s by the Civic United Front (CUF) which was later superseded in dominance on the islands by the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT).

From its formation in 1977 until 1992, it was the only legally permitted party in the country. Every five years, its national chairman was automatically elected to a five-year term as president; he was confirmed in office via a referendum. At the same time, voters were presented with two CCM candidates for the National Assembly or Bunge. This changed on July 1, 1992, when amendments to the Constitution and a number of laws permitting and regulating the formation and operations of more than one political party were enacted by the National Assembly.

Ideology

Originally a champion of African socialism, upholder of the system of collectivized agriculture known as Ujamaa and firmly oriented to the left, today the CCM espouses a more mixed economic approach. CCM hopes to continue to modernize in order to ensure:

  1. Increased productivity which would boost the country's revenue
  2. Increased employment and improved management
  3. Acquisition of new and modern technology
  4. Increased and expanded local and international markets for our products, and;
  5. Improved and strengthened private sector serving as the engine of the national economy while the government sharpens its focus on provision of social services, infrastructure, security and governance of the state.

Similarly, the CCM's major foreign policy focus is economic diplomacy within the international system, and peaceful coexistence with neighbors.

Electoral performance and support base

The CCM has a leading role in society, despite having multiparty democracy in Tanzania since 1995, the CCM has kept to power ever since. Empirical analysis has shown that a sense of nostalgia for a party which brought independence, and which has maintained relative peace is a major cause of the CCM's support base; age had no significant determinant on loyalty to the CCM. The party has strong support from subsistence farmers.[7]

The party has won all presidential elections at both the national level and in Zanzibar at the autonomous level under the multi-party system: 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015. It also dominates the legislature.

In the elections for Zanzibar's presidency and House of Representatives, held on 30 October 2005, incumbent president and CCM candidate Amani Abeid Karume won with 53% of the vote, while the party won 30 seats out of 50.

In the national elections for Tanzania's presidency and National Assembly, held on 14 December 2005, Foreign Minister and CCM candidate Jakaya Kikwete won with 80.28% of the vote. Out of the 232 seats filled through direct election, the CCM won 206.

On 31 October 2010, Jakaya Kikwete was reelected president with 61% of the vote,[8] while CCM obtained 186 out of the 239 directly elected seats.

CCM was admitted into the Socialist International as a full member at the SI's spring congress on 4–5 February 2013.[9]

On 30 October 2015 John Magufuli of CCM won the election with 58% of the vote.

In the 2020 Tanzanian general election, incumbent president and CCM nominee for president John Magufuli secured reelection with over 84% of the vote, making it the party's largest victory ever since the multi-party system was introduced in 1992. However, the election was held in the midst significant democratic backsliding and repression, as Magufuli's presidency was characterized by unprecedented attacks on the opposition, civil society and press.[10]

Leadership

Current leaders

Samia Suluhu Hassan is the current Chairperson of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi following the death of John Pombe Magufuli, the former Chairman and President of United Republic of Tanzania.

National leaders

National Chairman
Name Tenure
1977–1985
1985–1995
1996–2006
Jakaya Kikwete2006–2016
John Magufuli2016–2021
Samia Suluhu2021–present
National Vice Chairman (Mainland)
Name Tenure
2007–2012
2012–2022
Abdulrahman Omar Kinana 2022 – present
National Vice Chairman (Zanzibar)
Name Tenure
? – 2012
2012–present
Secretaries General
Name Tenure
1977–1982
1982–1990
1990–1995
1995–1997
1997–2007
2007–2011
2011–2012
2012–May 2018
2018 – April 2021
2021 – present

Electoral history

Presidential elections

ElectionParty candidateVotes%Result
1980Julius Nyerere5,570,88395.5%Elected
1985Ali Hassan Mwinyi4,778,11495.68%Elected
19905,198,12097.78%Elected
1995Benjamin Mkapa4,026,42261.82%Elected
20005,863,20171.74%Elected
2005Jakaya Kikwete9,123,95280.28%Elected
20105,276,82762.83%Elected
2015John Magufuli8,882,93558.46%Elected
202012,516,25284.40%Elected

Bunge elections

ElectionParty leaderVotes%Seats+/–PositionResult
1980Julius Nyerere5,417,099100% 1st
1985Ali Hassan Mwinyi4,768,997100% 10 1st
19905,198,12097.78% 10 1st
1995Benjamin Mkapa3,814,20659.22% 50 1st
20004,628,12765.19% 29 1st
2005Jakaya Kikwete7,579,89770% 21 1st
20104,641,83060.20% 11 1st
2015John Magufuli8,021,42755.04% 7 1st
202012,516,252 84.40% 90 1st

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://x.com/dailynewstz/status/1489935602028064772
  2. News: TANZANIA'S POLITICAL PILLAR - AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT CHAMA CHA MAPINDUZI.. 20 February 2024. https://www.michuzi.co.tz/2023/12/tanzanias-political-pillar-in-depth.html?m=1.
  3. O'Gorman . Melanie . 26 April 2012 . Why the CCM won't lose: the roots of single-party dominance in Tanzania . . 30 . 2 . 313–333 . 10.1080/02589001.2012.669566 . 10.1.1.410.9369 . 17134713 .
  4. News: Manson . Katrina . 30 September 2013 . Three issues loom over Tanzania's political scene . . subscription . 8 September 2014.
  5. Cheeseman . Nic . Matfess . Hilary . Amani . Alitalali . 2021 . Tanzania: The Roots of Repression . . 32 . 2 . 77–89 . 10.1353/jod.2021.0020 . 1086-3214 . free.
  6. Web site: Tanzania: Background and Current Conditions . Dagne . Ted . 31 August 2011 . . 5 September 2013.
  7. 10.1080/02589001.2012.669566. Why the CCM won't lose: The roots of single-party dominance in Tanzania. Journal of Contemporary African Studies. 30. 2. 313–333. 2012. O'Gorman. Melanie. 17134713.
  8. News: 2010-11-05 . Tanzania election: Jakaya Kikwete re-elected president . en-GB . BBC News . 2022-10-04.
  9. Web site: Decisions of the Council . February 2013 . . 14 September 2014 . 7 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180907221513/http://www.socialistinternational.org/images/dynamicImages/files/Council%20decisions-1.pdf . dead .
  10. https://www.csis.org/analysis/unfinished-business-magufulis-autocratic-rule-tanzania